We plan to purify significant (mg) quantities of bovine sulfation factor (B.S.F.) by methods developed in this laboratory. The initial procedure utilizes the concept of "affinity chromatography" and involves the in vitro attachment of S.F. to cartilage and its subsequent removal by salt extraction. The procedure is relatively simple and possesses the desired advantage in that it can be scaled up to production levels. The B.S.F. so isolated will be further purified by the usual analytical techniques (i.e., ion-exchange chromatography, disc electrophoresis, etc.). The highly purified B.S.F. will then be utilized for chemical (e.g., amino acid composition, molecular weight, and group analysis) and in vivo and in vitro biochemical studies (e.g., effects on metabolism of chondroitin sulfate, protein, RNA and DNA in cartilage tissue).